Back in September, I decided that, after twelve years of living a vegetarian lifestyle, that it was time to become vegan. I could no longer deny the cruelty that exists within the egg and dairy industry, nor the damage that the animal industry does to the environment. Plus, my diet needed a kick up the backside! I could not imagine how becoming vegan would make me feel or how easy it would be. Since making the change, we cook from scratch pretty much every night. As vegan chocolate isn’t available everywhere, I’ve had to stock up and ration my treats (hello incidental weight loss!) and my love for vegetables has increased like I never thought possible. While it has been quite a learning experience (learning to scan labels like my life depends on it!), discovering that supermarkets feel the need to put milk in nearly everything (WHY?!) and the different e numbers that hide animal products, it has been an incredibly valuable experience. I have never felt better!

Image via @cowspiracy

But feeling better is only part of it. Animal cruelty and the environment are the driving force behind my veganism. You can read about them here if you’d like. If you’re interested in trying our veganism, why not take the Veganuary pledge? Being vegan isn’t always easy and it can be frustrating, but it’s certainly going to be one of the best things you do. If you try it for a month and think it’s not for you, then there you go, but it might just make you think about the different things you consume, maybe make you cut down on your animal products or think twice about your purchases. Who knows, you might even decide to stay vegan!

Image via @weareveganuary

Still thinking about it? Take a look at this little clip from Cowspiracy. It stops me in my tracks every time I watch it. If you want to know more, you can find Cowspiracy on Netflix. It’s well worth a watch. It explains the environmental damage animal agriculture is doing to our planet. It’s probably the scariest film I’ve ever seen and made me realize I’d made the right choice in going vegan.